Powhatan Today, June 9, 2021
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High school honored with a continuous improvement award
School board recognizes staff members
Powhatan High School was recognized by the Powhatan County School Board at its May 11 meeting for receiving the 2020 Board of Education's Continuous Improvement Award through the Exemplar School Recognition PHOTO BY LAURA MCFARLAND Program. This award is for being accredited or accredited with conditions in the 2019-2020 school year and for significantly improving academic and school quality indicators for the past three years. To qualify, schools must have demonstrated one or more of the following: an increase in the academic achievement of all students in reading or mathematics; an increase in academic achievement for two or more student groups in reading and mathematics; an increase in graduation rates and a decrease in students who dropout of high school. This award was delayed due to operating and distribution concerns over the past year due to the pandemic. Dr. Mike Massa, principal, received the award on behalf of the staff and faculty of Powhatan High School.
PHOTOS BY LAURA MCFARLAND
The Powhatan County School Board recognized the Support Staff of the Year at its May 11 meeting. Shown are Lisa Harris, from left, Mary Smith, and Angela Clarke. Amy Tucker is in individual shot. Not pictured are Veronica Sanders and Jarrod Lisker.
Contributed Report The Powhatan County School Board recognized the important contributions of transportation employees and school support staff at its May 11 meeting. The school board honored those individuals for building level awards of Support Staff of the Year as well as the transportation award of Bus Driver, Bus Assistant, and Mechanic of the Year. The following staff members have been recognized by their school or department for their hard work and dedication to our students and the profession. Support Staff of Year 2020-21: Flat Rock Elementary, Veronica Sanders, secretary/bookkeeper; Powhatan Elementary, Angela Clarke, Mary Smith, and Donna (Lisa) Harris, Sodexo staff; Pocahontas Elementary, Amy Tucker, instructional assistant; Powhatan Middle, all support staff; and Powhatan High, Jarrod Lisker, computer technician. Bus Driver of the Year: David Funkhouser – There's a quote that “Being a school bus driver is not just a job, it's an adventure." Earlier this year, a PCPS driver encountered a situation that clearly illustrates this statement. In an unexpected encounter with wildlife on the bus, David Funkhouser’s professionalism as a driver was very apparent. Funkhouser maintained a calm, reassuring demeanor as he safely brought the bus to a stop to allow the surprise passenger to exit the bus. The professional manner in which he conducted himself in an unexpected event was an excellent example of how seriously Powhatan drivers take the safety of students they transport. Bus Assistant of the Year: Yvonne Howell – Although to some, Yvonne Howell may be a quiet
PHOTO BY LAURA MCFARLAND
The Powhatan County School Board recognized David Funkhouser, left, as the Bus Driver of the Year and Vincent Holman as Mechanic of the Year. Not pictured is Yvonne Howell, Bus Assistant of the Year.
presence, her impact on others is great. Described as helpful, caring, and reliable, it is no surprise that she is well loved by the students on the bus in which she serves as an aide. Sharing her wealth of experience to others as well as educating others on historical events, she positively impacts all those around her. Mechanic of the Year: Vincent Holman – While it is hard to single out one PCPS mechanic, Vincent Holman is this year's Mechanic of the Year. His professionalism and mechanical knowledge make him a great asset to PCPS transportation staff and students. As others, he has gone above and beyond this year, even filling in on bus routes that needed driver coverage.
Contributed Report Powhatan 4-H is excited to host a Watermelon Growing Contest for youth ages 5 to 18 this summer. Powhatan 4-H will provide the seeds and instructions, then the youth plant the seeds at home and care for their own patch. After caring for their melons for about 90 days, kids will bring their “best of the best” produce to the Powhatan Village Farmers Market on Thursday, Sept. 2, for the contest. Drop-off
for the weigh-in is from 5 to 5:30 p.m. Winners will be announced at 6 p.m. Prizes will be awarded for longest, cutest, roundest, heaviest and more! Children ages 5 to 8 will only participate; they not compete for prizes. The deadline to register is June 15. Email Cathy Howland, Powhatan 4-H Extension Agent, at chowland@vt.edu to pre-register and instructions for picking up seeds and directions.
Powhatan native returns to open law office
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tially expressed interest in the student vaccine and then more than 200 actually signed up. “I figured that it would be a lot lower in the sense that parents would want to wait over the summer to determine if they wanted to get them vaccinated. I would have thought it would be lower but I am happy to see the number that we had that responded,” she said. Ahead of the clinic, the division let families know what vaccine would be available for their children and the benefits of them being vaccinated in the coming school year beyond the overall health protection and the potential benefit of moving the schools closer to a return to normal, she said. “If they are vaccinated and they come in contact with someone who tests positive, they will not be required to miss time from sports or from other activities,” she said. As a county employee, LaToya Turner of Powhatan had already been vaccinated at a countysponsored clinic that went well. She brought her son, 14-year-old Deric Cypress, to receive his vaccine after talking to him about it. “I did ask him how he felt about it. In discussing it with him, we just felt the best alternative was to get it. The main thing was he felt comfortable getting it also,” she said. Robin Duty of Powhatan brought her two sons, Matthew, 15, and William 16, to the clinic to receive their first doses.
Watermelon contest opens
Contributed Report
PHOTO BY LAURA McFARLAND
Joe Sposa, an ESS contractor, administers a Pfizer vaccine to Madeline Gordon, 15, while her dad Scott Gordon watches.
Although William was eligible earlier because of his age, the family waited until the teens could get them at the same time. “They are both traveling for a national bowling tournament in Indianapolis, and I know that is sort of a hot spot right now for COVID. We wanted to make sure they were vaccinated,” she said. Duty appreciated that the school division offered the clinic and said the whole process was easy. They also liked that the boys would receive the Pfizer shot, which carried less worry about side effects for them. She added that having had a mild case of COVID-19 that still sidelined her for two weeks, she wanted to protect against it happening again for her or her family. William said he felt safe getting the vaccine and wanted to be part of the solution of keeping more people from getting sick. Scott Gordon of Powhatan said he and his
wife, Tammy, were already vaccinated through their work with Cumberland County Public Schools and their oldest child had received both doses as well. They were waiting to hear that younger people could be vaccinated so their daughter, Madeline, 15, was eligible and were eager to bring her to the school division’s clinic. “Madeline was the last one standing in our family who was not vaccinated, and we wanted to make sure that Madeline had the same opportunity to get the vaccination protection that the rest of us have. And she was actually eager to be vaccinated,” he said. Madeline said she was a little scared but also excited because of the freedom of movement that is expected to come with more people being vaccinated. The rising sophomore said it will be nice next year to go to school not as worried about catching the virus.
Powhatan families ready to plan for the future, dealing with a health crisis, or with questions about how to plan for and pay for long-term care can now get help from a familiar face. Powhatan native Lelia (Palmore) Winget-Hernandez and her husband and law partner, Michael Winget-Hernandez, are announcing the opening of Commonwealth Life and Legacy Counsel in Powhatan Courthouse. Services include estate planning, powers of attorney, long-term care and Medicaid planning, probate and estate administration, and elder law. The firm also focuses on special needs planning for loved ones with disabilities who may need long-term support through a trust or other financial strategies. For Lelia, who was born locally and graduated from Powhatan High School, the new office is an exciting homecoming. Many locals knew Lelia’s mother, Nancy Palmore, who was the librarian at Powhatan High School for more than 30 years. “I’m so thankful for the chance to provide these important services to the community that raised me,” Lelia said. “Michael and I have seen that many rural communities have limited options for elder law and estate planning needs, and it was important to us to offer these services here in my hometown. Anyone who has known me for more than five minutes knows that I love Powhatan.” The firm offers free initial consultations to help prospective clients understand their legal situation and ways the firm could help in a confidential and relaxed setting. “Of course, we are litigators, but our goal is always to keep families out of court and out of conflict,” said Michael. “High-quality, intentional estate planning today is the best way to prevent those
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painful legal conflicts in the future.” Through their efforts and education, the couple has established themselves as a voice for senior advocacy. On May 24, Lelia moderated a panel discussion at the Virginia Governor’s Conference on Aging. The topic was “Challenges and Opportunities in Addressing Elder Abuse During the Pandemic.” The discussion featured state and local elder abuse investigators and a long-term care ombudsman explaining their roles and giving suggestions for professionals (and the general public) on how to prevent, detect, and report elder abuse. The Powhatan office is located in Suite C of the Richardson Harris Boatwright Building at 3829 Old Buckingham Road. It is the third location for Commonwealth Life and Legacy Counsel. Their other offices are located at Zion Crossroads (Fluvanna County) and Lake Anna (Louisa County). Lelia and Michael have recently been named finalists in the Louisa County Chamber of Commerce’s Businessperson of the Year recognition program, and the firm was previously voted the Readers’ Choice Best Law Firm by the readers of the Rural Virginian Newspaper.
are flexible and can change based on provider availability. Consider joining the dedicated group of volunteers who help keep Powhatan residents healthy in mind, body and spirit. Contact Connie Moslow at 804-379-6484.
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volunteer as little as once a month or more frequently. Coverage initially needed one morning or one late afternoon/ early evening. However times
WINGET-HERNANDEZ
The Coalition of Powhatan
Churches has available resources to help people who would like assistance in learning to manage their finances. If you know of anyone who needs or would like to have this service, or to get more information, call Robin Cupka at 804-801-9851.
